Archive-name: cooking/common-topics Last-change: 25 November 1994 by arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva) Posting-Frequency: monthly This file is copyrighted 1994 by Stephanie da Silva (arielle@taronga.com). It may be redistributed provided it is done so in its entirety (including headers), and with this copyright notice left intact. This is a list of commonly discussed topics on rec.food.cooking. Please note that this is not saying that you shouldn't bring up these threads. It's just acknowledging that these topics do come up a lot. If you post about them you might not generate any additional discussion, or your post may spark a thread that continues for weeks. If you have ftp access, try looking in the rec.food.recipes archives before requesting a recipe. They are accessible via anonymous ftp from ftp.neosoft.com. Some recipes are so popular, there are literally dozens of recipes for them in the archives. Recipes are in the directory /pub/rec.food.recipes. If you don't know how to use ftp, the ftp FAQ is posted monthly to news.newusers.questions. For WWW users, the URL is ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/rec.food.recipes/ Recipes listed in this FAQ are only an example of the type of food described, and are by no means the final word on the subject. Before posting, consider if rec.food.cooking is the correct newsgroup for your article. It is a high volume newsgroup, and your question might be better answered on one of the smaller, more focused newsgroups. For example, a request for making ginger ale might be more appropriate for rec.crafts.brewing and one for curing olives might be better answered on rec.food.preserving or rec.food.historic. Here is an incomplete list of food related newsgroups: rec.food.drink rec.food.drink.beer rec.food.drink.coffee rec.food.historic rec.food.preserving rec.food.recipes (moderated) rec.food.restaurants rec.food.sourdough rec.food.veg rec.food.veg.cooking (moderated) rec.crafts.brewing rec.crafts.winemaking sci.med.nutrition alt.food.chocolate alt.food.fat-free This file is archived at rtfm.mit.edu along with the rec.food.cooking FAQ and conversion file in the directory /pub/usenet/rec.food.cooking/cooking. Aluminum Cookware Aluminum cookware has not been linked to Alzheimer's. The original study that suggested this was found to have had faulty data. Animal Rights Comes up usually in reference to steaming live lobsters. Sometimes it's about the ethics of eating dogs, or park-dwelling squirrels or pigeons. While these topics do bear relevance to cooking, there are better newsgroups for discussing them, like talk.politics.animals. Appliances Bread machines Crock pots Microwaves Australia/New Zealand foods Vegemite is yeast extract, very salty and an acquired taste. It's similar to Marmite. It may be spread very thinly on toast or used to flavour soups. A scone (rhymes with "gone") is similar to an American biscuit, yet comes in more variations. It may include ingredients such as cheese or raisins and is often served with hot tea, whipped cream and jam. Scones Measure 2 cups self-rising flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub in 2 tablespoons butter. Mix lightly to soft dough with 3/4 cup milk. Handle minimally to a slab 3/4" thick and cut into shape on floured board. Glaze with milk. Place close together on greased and floured tray. Bake in a hot (400F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Depending on who you talk to, Pavlova was created in either New Zealand or Australia. :-) It is a sweet meringue based dessert, filled with whipped cream and tropical fruits. Pavlova 4 egg whites 3 tablespoons cold water 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 cup castor sugar (superfine sugar) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract) 3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) Beat egg whites until very stiff, add cold water and beat again. Add castor sugar very gradually while still beating. Slow beater and add vinegar, vanilla and cornflour. Place on greased paper on a greased tray and bake at 150C (300F) for 45 minutes then leave to cool in the oven. For serving top with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Try kiwifruit, strawberries, bananas, and passionfruit. Avocadoes/Guacamole Guacamole is basically mashed avocado with a little fresh lime juice squeezed in. No mayonnaise, no sour cream. A bit of diced tomato and onion is allowed, and a smidgen of chopped chiles and fresh cilantro if you prefer. The pit has no magical properties to keep the guacamole from browning; it just prevents air from contacting the surface. A lightbulb would perform the same function. Plastic wrap is more practical. Baking powder vs. Baking soda Baklava Baklava 3 ounces blanched almonds, chopped 3 ounces walnuts, chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/4 pint clear honey 1 package phyllo dough 3/4 ounce butter, melted juice of 1/2 lemon Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the almonds and walnuts with cinnamon, allspice and two fluid ounces of the honey. Line an 8" square pan with foil. Cut four layers of the dough to fit in the 8" square pan. Place one layer of dough in the pan and brush with a little butter. Cover with another layer of dough, then spread with the nut filling. Cover with the third layer of dough and brush it with butter. Cover with the fourth layer of dough and brush it with butter, then cut through the top two layers to mark out four squares. Cut each in half again to make triangles. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile mix the lemon juice with the remaining honey, adding enough water to make the mixture 1/4 pint. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Spoon over the hot baklava while it's still in the pan and leave to soak for 2 hours before removing from the pan to cut and serve. Barbecue Equipment/Techniques Fajitas Marinades, sauces, meats Origin of the word "barbecue" Regional variations (Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee) Smoking Biscotti Biscotti 6 oz blanched whole almonds 2 1/2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 eggs For Orange Biscotti Zest from 1 orange, grated 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon For Anise Biscotti 2 to 3 teaspoon crushed anise seeds For Lemon Biscotti Zest from 1 lemon, grated Preheat oven to 350F. Spread almonds on baking sheet and toast until lightly golden. Coarsely chop half of the almonds, leaving the others whole. Grease 2 large baking sheets. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together beat in the eggs, then the almonds. Knead the dough briefly, then divide it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder 15 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Place 2 rolls each sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer the rolls to a cutting board and slice each diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Set wire racks on baking sheets and lay the biscotti on them. Bake 20 to 30 minutes. Black Beans Also known as turtle beans and common to Mexican cooking. These are not the same as Chinese black beans, which are fermented, salted black soybeans or dow see. Black Cow A lot of people can't seem to agree on what this is, but it most likely involves root beer, chocolate or vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup combined into an ice cream soda. Bisquick An American baking mix. Used for making pancakes, American style biscuits, waffles, and general baking. Biscuit Mix (Bisquick) 4 cups flour 2/3 cup instant non fat dry milk 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons baking powder 1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix flour, milk, salt and baking powder together in blender or food processor. Mix well, then blend in the oil. Empty into covered container, and store in fridge until needed. Buffalo wings Buffalo wings 12 chicken wings 3 cups oil for deep frying 4 ounces bottle of Louisiana hot sauce 4 ounces butter celery sticks Bleu cheese dressing Cut the wings at the joints, discard the wing tips. Fry the wings in the oil until crisp. In a pan large enough to hold the fried chicken wings, melt the butter and add the bottle of hot sauce, then add the pre-fried wings. Stir to coat the wings and serve while still warm. Bugs Bulgogi A Korean marinated and barbecued beef dish. Spelling of the name varies (due to transliteration). Bulgogi 1 pound flank steak, sliced thin against the grain 1/4 cup light soy sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 3 green onions, chopped 2 (or more) cloves garlic, crushed Combine all ingredients except beef in a large bowl. Stir well. Add beef slices, and marinate several hours. Stir-fry, broil or grill marinated beef slices. Caesar Salad There are purists who feel that Ceasar salad isn't Caesar salad unless assembled in an elaborate tableside ritual. Then there are those who just want a simple dressing to drizzle over lettuce. Here's one recipe of each. Caesar Salad Prepare a serving cart or tray with a large wooden salad bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 or 3 split garlic cloves and a glass bowl of chilled torn romaine lettuce (about 1 lb.). In 6 small bowls, place: 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce 4 minced anchovy filets 1 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese 24 small croutons (bread cubes browned in butter, flavored with a garlic clove) 1 fresh whole egg Before starting, cover the egg with very hot water. The five minutes it takes to mix the salad will properly coddle the egg. Crush the garlic in the salt over the inside of the bowl. Remove the garlic, but leave the salt. Add the oil and whisk vigorously. Whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, anchovies, mustard and cheese. Add the lettuce, grind some black pepper over it and toss. Add the croutons and then break the coddled egg over the lettuce. Toss gently. "Don't soak the bread" is the key phrase. Place a generous helping on each salad plate. Caesar Dressing (eggless and anchovyless, for the faint-of-heart) 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Mix all ingredients until well blended. Cast Iron Skillets/Woks Removing rust Seasoning Cheesecake Variations upon variations of a theme. A number of cheesecake bakers are concerned about the top cracking. Some suggestions to avoid this include baking at a lower temperature, putting a pan of water in the oven while baking, and/or turning off the oven after baking and leaving the cake in for 2 hours with the door slightly ajar. If all else fails, use a topping to disguise the cracks. Here is a basic recipe. Blue Ribbon Cheesecake 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 butter, melted 3 tablespoons sugar 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temp 1 cup sugar 3 eggs, room temp 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled 1/8 teaspoon orange extract Grated orange peel for garnish Combine crumbs, butter and sugar. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 450F. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in butter and orange extract. Turn mixture into pan and bake 15 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with grated orange peel. Serve chilled. Chiles The substance in chiles that makes them spicy is called capsaicin. It is concentrated in the veins of the fruit (not the seeds) and stimulates the nerve endings in your mouth, fooling your brain into thinking you're in pain. The brain responds by releasing substances called enkephalins, which are similiar in structure to morphine. A mild euphoria results, and chiles can be mildly addictive because of this hot pepper "high". Chile hotness is rated in Scoville units. The hottest pepper on record is the habanero/Scotch bonnet which some claim are the same pepper and others claim are slightly different varieties. Habaneros are rated at 200,000 to 250,000 Scoville units. By contrast, the lowly serrano comes in at about 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. The word "chile" is spelled differently in different countries, so you may see people spell it as "chilie," or even "chilli". The Chile-Heads list is intended to provide a forum for discussion of matters relating to chile peppers. You may subscribe to the list by sending a one line message containing the command SUBSCRIBE to the listserv address: chile-heads-request@chile.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies Original Tollhouse Cookies 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 2 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 12 oz chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, mix well. Mix together dry ingredients, slowly add to sugar, butter mixture. fold in chocolate chips, walnuts. Drop in rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Cookbooks/Cookbook authors/Cooking shows Some people appear to derive a great deal of pleasure from bashing certain cookbook authors, most notably the Frugal Gourmet. Cooking Unit Conversions A world-wide newsgroup with readers from many countries brings out several conflicting conventions for measurement. If you believe in the old adage "A pint's a pound the world around," I suggest you test it out with flour. Amy Gale (mara@kauri.vuw.ac.nz) posts a FAQ to rec.food.cooking every month on the 10th that contains a number of useful conversions. It's archived at rtfm.mit.edu in the directory /pub/usenet/rec.food.cooking/cooking. Copyright One cannot copyright a recipe. One can copyright the words used to describe it, so if you type in a recipe verbatim, you may be violating someone's copyright. To be courteous, change the wording, alter a few ingredients in the recipe and credit the original source. Cutting Boards Plastic vs. wood Seasoning Dehydrators/Jet Stream Ovens Sun Dried Tomatoes Dolphinfish There are two kinds of dolphin. One is a mammal in the Order Cetacea, aka Flipper. The other is a firm-fleshed fish, called mahi-mahi (in the Pacific?) or dorado (in the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico?). It is the latter that people speak of when they talk about eating dolphin, so please don't flame them for it. Falafel Some cooks have a lot of problem with their falafel falling apart. Unfortunately, I don't have a fix for this (yet). Falafel 8 ounces chick peas 3 tablespoons cracked wheat 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper Soak chick peas in water for 8 hours. Drain and grind. Soak Wheatmeal or substitute in water for 2 hours. Drain and grind. Mix all ingredients together. Form balls about 3/4 inch diameter. Deep fry until golden brown (best fried in a net or a deep fryer). Serve in/with pita bread, tomatoes-cucumbers-parsley-lemon juice salad, hummus, tahini sauce. Fast Food Fast Food bashing Secret Sauce FAQ An acronym for Frequently Asked/Answered Questions. What this file is all about. Food Myths The [natural product] is better than [refined product] myth. In reality, there is no nutritional difference. So far, we've seen this comparison made wrt honey/refined sugar and sea salt/salt. However, there is at least one exception to this in that whole wheat flour is more nutrional than bleached white flour. Mayo in potato salad The alcohol evaporates out during cooking. In actuality, more of the alcohol remains behind than previously thought. Shankar Bhattacharyya (a chemist who reads rfc) performed an experiment and discovered in some cases as much as 50%+ of the alcohol remained after cooking some dishes. Caution is advised for those who need to restrict the intake of alcohol, as more is left behind than just the flavour. The $250 Cookie. The story goes that a woman ate at a cafe, liked a cookie, requested the recipe, was told it would cost "two-fifty," was dismayed to find out she was charged $250 on her credit card and now is seeking revenge by passing around the recipe. People swear that it happened to a "friend of a friend." It is totally bogus. The current version blames Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas; previous versions were about Mrs. Fields', Famous Amos and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City (the Waldorf Astoria version involved not a cookie, but a red velvet cake and dates back at least sixty years). **** It is strongly recommended that you do not post the story as many people will respond with lots of nasty flames. **** Check the alt.folklore.urban FAQ for further information. No one knows the origin of the recipe (it is not one of Mrs. Fields') but it allegedly is pretty good. $250 Urban Legend Chocolate Chip Cookies 2 cups butter 5 cups oatmeal 2 cups sugar 1 tsp salt 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp baking powder 4 eggs 2 tsp baking soda 2 teaspoons vanilla 24 ounces chocolate chips 4 cups flour 1 8-ounce Hershey Bar, grated Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream butter, add both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add chips and candy bar. Roll into a ball shape and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 6 to 10 minutes. Food Poisoning Warm weather invariably brings on a spate of posters wanting to warn others about food poisoning. The problem is when they do so, they tend to go about it in a most sensationalistic manner (and ironically enough, sometimes offer misinformation themselves). It is with a weary sigh that I say, "Yes, we know about these matters already." Food poisoning is a common sense thing, really. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. It is the change in temperature that encourages bacterial growth. Don't reheat cooled dishes or refreeze thawed ones. Avoid cross-contamination, especially with meats. Wash utensils and hands thoroughly before and after preparing each dish. Keep dishes covered at all times. When in doubt, throw it out, tho bringing the food to a rapid boil for 10 minutes will be enough to kill any bacteria that may be present. While boiling will denature some toxins (like the botulism toxin), it won't affect others such as the toxin produced by staph bacteria. There are a couple of hot topics that merit being individually addressed. In some areas of the United States (the Northeast especially), there have been reports of whole, raw eggs that have been contaminated with Salmonella. If you feel you are at risk, then a couple options would be to either cook your eggs until well-done or to use a commerically available pasteurized egg product in your cooking. The other item is garlic in oil. Storing garlic in oil produces a low acid, anerobic environment, making it an ideal place for the botulism bacteria to flourish. Botulism poisoning is rare, but is very dangerous and can be fatal. To prevent this, marinate the garlic in vinegar or lemon juice before adding it to the oil. French Silk Pie Butter is recommended for this pie. If you substitute margarine, it will not turn out. It also helps if all the ingredients and bowls/beaters are chilled. French Silk Pie 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 3 eggs 3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 1 9-inch baked pastry shell In a small mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter about 4 minutes until fluffy. Stir in cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed of electric mixer after each addition and scraping sides of bowl constantly (beating a full five minutes after each egg is recommended). Turn into a baked pastry shell. Chill several hours or overnight till set. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired. Fried Green Tomatoes Fried Green Tomatoes Firm green tomatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices 1 1/2 cups corn meal 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon pepper Cooking oil Pour cornmeal, salt, pepper (and garlic) in a plastic bag. Twist bag closed tightly and hold top and bottom tightly while shaking bag to mix spices. Take (dampened) tomato slices and put in baggy with cornmeal. Shake again until all slices are covered. In a skillet, preheat 1/4" deep cooking oil on medium heat. When oil is hot, place slices in skillet. Fry for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Friendship Starter/Bread/Cake This is one of those fad recipes. There is nothing Amish in its origin and it has several variations. It's basically just a gimmicky recipe for sourdough. Amish Friendship Starter 1 package active dry yeast 2 1/2 cups warm water 2 cups sifted flour 1 tablespoon sugar Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a deep glass or plastic container. Stir in remaining warm water, flour and sugar. Beat until smooth. Cover with loose fitting cover. Friendship Cake 1 cup starter 2/3 cup oil 3 eggs 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups chopped fruit 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup nuts Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Grease and flour a bundt or loaf pan. Pour batter into pan and bake in preheated 350F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Fruits Durian Mangoes Garlic/Baked garlic/Garlic bread Garlic lovers abound on rec.food.cooking. The saying goes, "There can never be too much garlic." Too true. General Tso's chicken General Tso's Chicken 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 egg, beaten 1 lb chicken meat cut into 2 inch pieces 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pineapple juice 1/4 cup vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced oil for deep frying 6 dry whole red peppers 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water 4 green onions sliced into 1/4 inch pieces Combine cornstarch, egg, and chicken and stir to coat well. Combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Heat oil in wok. When very hot, add half of the chicken and fry until crisp and cooked (should only take a few minutes). Remove to drain on paper towels. Reheat oil and cook remaining chicken. Remove all but 1 T oil and add red peppers. Stir fry quickly without burning. Add sauce and stir until well-mixed and sugar dissolves. Add cornstarch mixture stirring until thickened. Return chick to wok with green onions. Stir to coat chicken, remove, and serve with rice. Ginger, how to store Two most common methods are freezing or submerging in sherry or vodka. Grits/Hominy/Cornmeal Hominy is made from corn kernals that have been soaked in lye. Grits are made when the hominy is ground into a cereal. Grits are a popular breakfast item in the Southern regions of the United States, are usually served as a savoury dish. Many feel grits is an acquired taste. Cornmeal is ground corn and similar to polenta. It's used to make cornbread, again a savoury dish popular in the Southern regions of the United States. Gyros/Tzatziki How does one pronouce "gyro?" The majority says it's similar to "yeer-oh" with a rolled "r". Tzatziki 1 quart plain yoghurt 4 cloves garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tbsp white vinegar 2 cucumbers Drain yoghurt by lining a strainer with cheesecloth and suspending it over a bowl for about 1 hour. Peel and seed cucumbers. Grate them. Salt them and drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid. In a medium bowl place crushed garlic. Whisk in olive oil till you have a thick paste. Whisk in the vinegar. Mix in the yoghurt and cucumber. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Half and Half An American dairy product. It's half cream, half milk, about 10% butterfat. Comparable to single cream or light cream. Holy Wars One of the things that sets rec.food.cooking apart is that it is remarkably civil and flame-free for a mainstream newsgroup. However, occasionally a topic will come up where the posters divide into two sharply opposed camps, each side tenaciously adhering to their position. Two of these threads are mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip, and Coke vs. Pepsi. Bring these up at your own risk (I'm in the mayonnaise and Coke camps, myself). Hot & Sour Soup Hot And Sour Soup 1/2 pound boneless pork 3 tablespoons soy sauce 8 dried lily buds 4 dried cloud ears 4 dried mushrooms 6 cups chicken broth 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon pepper 8 oz tofu 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 beaten egg 2 tablepoons thinly sliced green onion Partially freeze pork; cut pork into 1x1/4-inch strips. Sprinkle meat with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Meanwhile, in three bowls soak lily buds, mushrooms, and tree ears in enough hot water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain lily buds, mushrooms, and cloud ears. Cut off and discard tough stem end of lily buds. Slice each lily bud into 1-inch lengths. Thoroughly rinse tree ears under running water; drain well. Cut off and discard stems. Cut mushrooms and cloud ears into thin strips. In large saucepan bring chicken broth to boiling; stir in pork, the remaining soy sauce, lily buds, mushrooms, cloud ears, rice wine vinegar and pepper. Simmer covered, 10 minutes. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch wide strips. Add to soup simmer, covered, 3 minutes more. Blend water into cornstarch. Stir into soup. Pour egg slowly into hot soup in a thin stream, beating constantly with fork till egg cooks and shreds finely. Cook soup till slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in thinly sliced green onion. Hummus Hummus 2-16 oz cans of chick peas 1/2 cup tahihi (sesame paste) 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, peeled cumin and salt to taste Mix in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with warm pita and cucumber and onion slices. Ice cream/Sherbet/Sorbet Sherbet is so commonly misspelled (as 'sherbert'), that the misspelling now is considered to be correct due to common usage. Ice cream may be made with or without eggs. If using eggs, the custard may be cooked first. Here is an eggless recipe. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream 2 quarts half and half 1/2 pint whipping cream 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 teaspoons vanilla dash salt Mix all ingredients together and freeze it according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Jams, Jellies and Pectin Prevalent during canning season. When stating ingredients, give more specific measurements than "a box of pectin." These topics are now covered by the newsgroup rec.food.preserving. Jerky Key Lime Pie Key limes are a mutation of a wild orange that grow in areas around the Caribbean. They're known for being scarce, tho availability has been increasing as of late. They are small, round, yellow, very sour, and quite fragrant. The pie itself is simple, just juice, condensed milk and egg yolks. Some people will bake this, but it's not necessary. There are more elaborate variations on this theme, but this is the original recipe. Key limes were so rare for so long that somewhere along the way, "Key lime pie" became a catch phrase for lime meringue pie. If you order Key lime pie someplace outside of Florida, it's probably not made with real Key lime juice. Don't be fooled by Key lime "look-alike" bottled juices. If it says "Key West Lime Juice," or "Key Lime-Style Juice," it's probably not real Key lime juice. Key Lime Pie 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice (8 to 10 limes) 4 egg yolks Whip egg yolks and blend with condensed milk. Add key lime juice, mixing only until juice is mixed in. Do not overbeat. Pour into a 9-inch baked pie shell or prepared graham cracker pie crust. Chill until set (overnight is best). Top with whipped cream if you like. Kim Chee Kim Chee 1 head Napa or Chinese cabbage 3 tablespoons salt 3 to 6 green onions, chopped 1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon crushed dried hot red chile 1 teaspoon chopped gingerroot Soak cabbage in salt water overnight in a cool location. Remove cabbage from water. Mix cabbage, onions, salt, garlic, chile and gingerroot in a jar or other container with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for a couple of days. Knives Mole A Mexican sauce (pronounced "moe-lay"). There are several kinds depending on the ingredients. This is a black mole. Mole poblano 4 chiles mulatos 4 chiles anchos 4 chiles guajillos 4 chiles pasillas 2 cups whole tomatoes 1 large onion 4 garlic cloves 1/2 cup almonds 1 plaintain banana 1/2 cup peanuts 1 piece toasted bread 2 corn tortillas 1 tablet abuelita chocolate 1/8 cup sesame seeds Oil for frying Devein chiles and remove seeds. Peel onion and cut in quarters. Cut plaintain banana in 1/4 inch pieces. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a pan and fry all ingredients in batches, starting with the chiles and ending with the nuts, tomatoes and chocolate. As you fry all the ingredients, set them aside. Puree them in a blender, thinning them with chicken broth. Consistency should be fairly thick, but just thin enough to blend to a smooth sauce. Cook over low flame for two hours, or until Mole turns a dark reddish brown color. Serve over chicken or turkey, accompanied by Mexican rice and corn tortillas. Muffins There are hundreds of muffin recipes in the rec.food.recipes archives, mostly due to rec.food.cooking's very own muffin maven, Dawn Scotting. American muffins are small, dense cakes, baked in a muffin tin (possibly similar to a popover tin?). They commonly have fruits, vegetables and/or nuts in them and are popular for breakfast. Morning glory muffins 2 1/4 cups flour 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups grated carrots 1 grated apple 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts 1 8-counce can crushed pineapple, drained 3 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Into large bowl, sift together flour,sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins, nuts and pineapple. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. Pour into bowl with dry ingredients; blend well. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups. Fill about two-thirds full. Bake in a pre-heated 350F degree oven about 35 minutes. Netiquette Rather than go into a detailed explanation on netiquette, I'll just provide a pointer and a brief explanation on why Usenet works. Usenet is an anarchy. There is no central ruling force, and no rules. Usenet is also a community. The reason it works so well is because the majority of the users cooperate with each other. There are a set of guidlelines known as "netiquette" that all new users should know about. Most users willingly follow these guidelines (tho some flout them, which is different matter altogether). If you are new to the net, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with these guidelines before posting to rec.food.cooking or any other newsgroup. They may be found in the newsgroup news.announce.newusers, or archived at rtfm.mit.edu in the directory /pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers. A suggestion: Read a new newsgroup for a minimum of one month before posting to it. Every newsgroup develops its own character and conventions. Reading it for a while first helps to get a feel for these. Another advantage to reading is you may find the answers to any questions have already been posted or discussed. And always read the FAQs before posting. Again, the answers to your questions may very well be in the FAQ. Pasta/Pasta makers These amounts should be enough to color about 1 1/2 pounds of pasta dough, made with 3 to 4 cups of flour, 4 eggs and 2 tbsp olive oil. You might need to add a little bit of extra flour to compensate for the extra moisture from the vegetables. Green pasta. Parboil 1/2 pound of spinach for about two minutes or chard for five minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and squeeze the leaves as dry as possible. Puree the spinach or chard through a sieve or food mill, or chop it fine by hand or with a food processor. With a fork, combine the spinach or chard with the pasta ingredients. Knead, and roll out. Speckled green pasta. Trim, wash, pat dry and chop fine about 6 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs: parsley, sorrel, thyme, sage leaves, tarragon, lovage, marjoram, basil, dandelion, rocket, hyssop and tender savory shoots are all suitable. However, the strong herbs -- thyme, sage, savory, marjoram and tarragon -- do not blend well with some others, so choose your herb mixture carefully. Stir the herbs into the dough ingredients with a fork. Knead and roll out. Red/pink pasta. Boil two small unpeeled beets in salted water for forty minutes to one hour or until tender. Peel and chop the beets, then puree them in a food processor. Stir the beet puree into the pasta dough ingredients before kneading the dough and rolling it out. Orange pasta. Stir about 1/4 cup of well-reduced tomato sauce or pureed tomato into pasta dough ingredients. Knead and roll out. Yellow pasta. Add a pinch of ground saffron to the flour and salt for the pasta dough. Mix well. Stir in the eggs and oil. Knead and roll out. Pad Thai Pad Thai 12 ounces rice noodles 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/2 pound shrimp 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla) 2 tablespoons lemon juice or tamarind water 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 pound bean sprouts 2 tablspoons peanuts, coarsely ground Garnish 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves 1 lemon, cut into wedges 1 red chile, seeded and thinly chopped Put rice noodles into a large bowl & cover with very hot water, then set aside for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water. Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan, add the garlic and the onion. Stir fry until the onion softens. Add the prawns and heat through. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, fish sauce and lemon juice. Pour in the beaten eggs, give them 2 - 3 minutes, and then stir them into the mixture. Add the noodles, half the bean sprouts and all the peanuts, mix well & toss & stir until the noodles are heated through. Turn onto a serving dish. Place remaining beansprouts on one side of the noodles, then garnish with the coriander, lemon & chile. Pesto Pesto freezes well. Freeze in ice cube trays, then put the cubes in plastic freezer bags. Pesto 2 cups fresh basil leaves firmly packed 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Combine all ingredients in a processor or blender, process until smooth. Pierogi Pizza Dough Sauce Toppings Restaurants Potatoes French fries Dipping fries in mayo Crispy fries, how to make These are called "chips" in England. Australia and New Zealand Hash browns Perfect mashed potatoes Sweet potatoes vs. yams Potato Salad Potato Salad 4 cups cubed cooked potatoes 1 cup mayonnaise 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vinegar 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup chopped sweet or dill pickle Combine mayonaise, mustard, celery seed, vinegar, salt and pepper; mix well. Then combine potatoes, eggs, onion, celery and pickle. Add dressing to potato mixture; mix lightly. Chill. Poutine A dish that originated in Quebec, Canada. It consists of french fries (chips) mixed with cheese curds, smothered with brown gravy. Puttanesca Putttanesca alla Penne 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried pepper flakes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley 4 roma tomatoes, chopped 5 flat anchovy fillets, drained 20 Greek black olives, chopped 2 teaspoons drained capers 1 pound penne freshly grated Romano or Parmesan In a skillet cook the garlic and the red pepper flakes in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, for 20 seconds, stir in the parsley, and cook the mixture for 10 seconds. Add the tomatoes with the juice and cook the mixture over moderate heat for one minute. Add the anchovies, the olives, and the capers and cook the sauce, stirring, for 2 minutes. In a pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta until it is al dente, drain it, and in a bowl toss it with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the Romano. Raclette A Swiss cheese delicacy. There is some confusion over whether raclette refers to a specific type of cheese or to the dish itself. (At this writing, I'm not too sure myself). Raclette Light a good fire. Buy yourself a half wheel of real Raclette cheese, preferably from the Valais, between three and five months old. Scrape off the rind, top and bottom, so that the cheese can melt more easily. Prepare boiled potatoes in their skins and have a ready supply of gherkins or cornichons, pickled onions and black pepper. When the fire died to a mass of glowing embers, procure yourself a large flat stone and put it before the fire. Set the half cheese on top, its cut surface exposed to the heat. Nearby have a supply of plates. As the cheese melts, scrape it off on to a plate and serve it at once. Red Beans and Rice Do not confuse red beans with kidney beans. Red beans may be labelled "small red beans" or "small red chili beans" and kidney beans as "large red beans." You can make red beans and rice with kidney beans (or other types of beans) but it won't taste the same. Red beans and rice 1 pound red beans 1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced 1/2 pound smoked ham shanks 1 large onion, chopped 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon sage 1 bay leaf Pinch of red pepper Salt Soak beans overnight. Drain, place in large pot and cover with water. Add all remaining ingredients to beans except salt and rice. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Add salt to taste. Remove ham bones. Mash down on about 1/3 of the beans with a potato masher (beans should have a creamy texture). Simmer 15 more minutes and then serve hot over rice. Recipe Program Software Mastercook and other programs may be found via anonymous ftp at oak.oakland.edu in the directory /pub/msdos/food. There is a Master Cook mailing list. Send the command "subscribe mastercook" to mail-server@mind.org. There is also a Meal Master mailing list. It may be subscribed to at: listserv@salata.com. There is another Meal Master mailing list. To subscribe to it, send email to: listserver@alexr.demon.co.uk. Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings 5 pounds Bisquick 44 ounces cold water 1 pound grated sharp cheddar 1/2 cup butter Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix bisquick, water and cheese. Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. After baking, while still hot, brush on melted butter mixed with garlic powder, parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Serve hot. For a smaller batch, use 2 cups Bisquick, 1/2 cup cold water, and 3/4 cup grated cheddar which will yield about 12 biscuits. You may also substitute soda water or gingerale for the water. Rice cookers/Cooking rice/Rinsing rice Roasted Whole Pig Rum Cake This recipe is popular during the holiday season. Rum Cake 1 package Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix 3 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup rum 1/2 cup water 1 small package of instant vanilla pudding 1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional) Grease heavily and flour a bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Mix all ingredients and pour into pan over nuts. Bake at 325F for 50-60 minutes. While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Glaze 1 stick butter 1/4 cup rum 1 cup sugar Put glaze ingredients in a small pan and boil for 2 minutes. Pour glaze on the cake immediately upon removing from oven. Let cool in pan for twenty minutes before turning out. Salsa Salsa means simply "sauce." Salsa may be cooked or raw, chunky or smooth, made from chiles or tomatoes or even fruit. Picante means "spicy" and is not a salsa but a word used to describe salsa. This one is a tomatillo salsa. Ninfa's Green Sauce 3 medium sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped 4 tomatillos, cleaned and chopped 1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed and coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves 3 medium-sized ripe avocados 4 sprigs cilantro 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups imitation sour cream Combine chopped tomoatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil (tomatoes provide all the liquid), reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Peel, pit and slice avocados; set aside. Place tomato mixture with part of the avocados (do this in batches), cilantro and salt in food processor and process until smooth. Turn into a large bowl. Stir in sour cream, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips. Satay Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 tablespoon curry powder 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 2 garlic cloves, minced Crushed dried chile peppers 6 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips Peanut sauce 2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 1/2 cups coconut milk 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup heavy cream Cayenne pepper Grated lime zest Fresh cilantro sprigs To make the marinade, combine the first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish. Thread the chicken strips onto bamboo skewers. Place the skewers into the soy sauce mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Make the peanut sauce by combining the next 7 ingredients in a saucepan. Season to taste with cayenne pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is as thick as heavy cream (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a food processor and pure briefly. Add chicken broth and cream and blend until smooth. Prepare moderate-hot charcoal coals or preheat a broiler. Cook the skewered chicken, turning several times and basting with the marinade, until crispy on the outside but still moist on the inside, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle grilled chicken with lime zest and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping. Sourdough There's a newsgroup devoted to this topic, rec.food.sourdough. Archives may be found at ils.nwu.edu in the directory /pub/sourdough. Tira Mi Su An Italian Cheese Charlotte, the name means "Pick me up". Widely popular dessert that people can't leave alone. Has many variations, including eggless, with cooked eggs, liquorless, and with substitutes for the marscapone (tho common consensus claims there is no comparable substitute). Tira Mi Su 24 ladyfingers, toasted in a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes 2 cups espresso coffee 6 eggs, separated 3 to 6 tablespoons sugar 1 pound mascarpone 2 tablespoons Marsala wine 2 tablespoons Triple Sec 2 tablespoons brandy 2 tablespoons orange extract 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped Arrange the ladyfingers on a plate and lightly soak them with the cooled espresso. Put half of the soaked ladyfingers in one layer in a rectangular serving dish. While the ladyfingers are soaking, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the yolks turn pale in color. Add the mascarpone, the liquors, and the extract, and stir gently. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk until they are stiff. Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture. Use half of this mixture to make a layer on top of the ladyfingers in the serving dish. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate. Repeat the procedure with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, the mascarpone mixture, and chocolate. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Truffles, chocolate Vegetables Eggplant Mushrooms Zucchini Zest The colored part of the rinds of citrus fruits, without the bitter, white pith. There are little gadgets, not surprisingly called "zesters," that make it a snap to remove the zest. -- Stephanie da Silva PO Box 720711 arielle@taronga.com Houston, TX 77272 Moderator, rec.food.recipes